Aug 23, 2010

The 2010 HammerRDM is the latest in Windwing's evolution of their incredibly rangy twin-cam freeride sail. What originally set this sail apart from the pack was that it was a cam sail rigging on a reduced diameter mast (RDM). For this year, it also includes the added tuning of second tack strap.

Speed / Power:We tested the HammerRDM up against a couple other cam sails last fall in Corpus Christi, TX. It was the leader of the pack stability-wise remaining controllable in bigger gusts than any other sail. This made it the fastest sail in the test. It held its own in less powered conditions as well, but seemed to have a slightly slower acceleration out of the gate. The second tack strap allows far more tension to be applied than with just one and provides both low-end power and incredible stability. Without the tension, the sail feels softer and less direct in how it translate gusts into forward movement.

Jibing and Maneuverability:With the tension on the two tack straps the two-cam draft is locked forward with a noticeable amount of shape. On paper this usually doesn't make for a smooth rotation during transitions, but the Hammer's cams and the use of an RDM mast seem to overcome all this, making it one of the smoothest rotating cam sails we have used. It may not be as easy to jibe as a no-cam rig, but if you blow your jibe you can't really blame the sail. As this Windwing is built durably to last for years to come, there is a slight weight penalty you'll feel when schlogging or flipping the sail in light air.

Rigging and Tuning:The two tack straps and twin-cams make the Hammer more technical to rig and also require a bit of familiarity before you will find its peak performance. The shape of the sail is changed noticeably by the tack straps, so you have to learn to compensate for their effect. As the straps tend to tighten the leech (along with the rest of the sail), we learned to over-downhaul and then tune from there. As once the straps are in place corrections to the downhaul tension becomes more difficult... so it's nice to know you've got the downhaul set properly before hand.